16th Scripps National Spelling Bee
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| 16th Scripps National Spelling Bee | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 1940 |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Winner | Laurel Kuykendall |
| Age | 14 |
| Residence | Pippin, near Cookeville, Tennessee[1] |
| Sponsor | Knoxville News Sentinel |
| Sponsor location | Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Winning word | therapy |
| No. of contestants | 22 |
| Preceded by | 15th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
| Followed by | 17th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
The 16th National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. in May 1940. Scripps-Howard would not sponsor the Bee until 1941.
The winner was Laurel Kuykendall, correctly spelling the word therapy. Elizabeth O'Keefe, a 13-year-old girl from New Jersey, took second place after failing to correctly spell "plantain", followed by Eleanor Shea of Nebraska in third. [2]
The prizes were $500 for first, $200 for second, and $100 for third.[2][3][4]
References
- ↑ (16 July 1940). Spelling Champion Is Girl of 14 From Tennessee's Hills, Milwaukee Journal
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 (29 May 1940). Tennessee Girl Champ Speller, St. Petersburg Times (Associated Press)
- ↑ (31 May 1940). National Spelling Bee Champ, Rome Daily Sentinel (photo)
- ↑ (9 March 2011). And the Winner Is ..., Shorpy.com (1940 photo of top three)
